Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen might not be the best of friends on the paddock, but when Hamilton was given a chance to entertain his former rival, you best believe he made the most of it.
Hamilton had taken a hilarious picture of Carlos Sainz at the Spanish GP. The hero returned to his backyard with a warm reception from the Spanish fans. Additionally, home races have pomp and excitement that are worth soaking in for the drivers. Safe to say, Sainz might have had too much fun.
Lewis Hamilton disses Carlos Sainz while making Max Verstappen smile
Hamilton galloped around the paddock with a smile, showing off his masterpiece of a portrait of Carlos Sainz in his special bucket hat. Thus, during the post-race press conference, he couldn’t help but share the joy with Max Verstappen.
Captured on camera, Verstappen’s reaction is hilarious. And the look on Hamilton’s face? Pure pride. Laughing around his interviews, one would assume the joy stemmed from his majestic podium appearance or the performance of the car. But Sainz was the reason behind Hamilton’s blinding smile that day.
SO HE SHOWED MAX THIS PHOTO OF CARLOS HE TOOK AND MAX REACTION??????? IM GONE https://t.co/B7NOFA80PA pic.twitter.com/PTsvDNVDZ4
— conni (@VERCAPLESS) June 5, 2023
And many interviewers assumed the same. Welcoming a beaming Hamilton to the media pen, an interviewer observed, “Oh you’re smiling.” Hamilton’s reason had her respond with a surprised and confused “Oh.”
The Mercedes man went on to explain, “I took a great picture of Carlos earlier.” Flaunting the monkey-like pose of the Spaniard in his chili-themed hat, it elicited a laugh from the reporter. Hamilton continued, “It’s the bucket hat! It’s the worst bucket hat ever.”
Hamilton hopes to reignite Verstappen rivalry
The Spanish GP brought a boost of confidence for the Silver Arrows as Lewis Hamilton has now promised to continue pursuing Max Verstappen and Red Bull. After the weekend in Barcelona, the Mercedes champion was extremely pleased with the improvements made to his W14.
The upgrades were the hot topic of the weekend, and it lived up to the hype. Now, Hamilton has his eyes on the prize- throwing off Red Bull. “The Bulls are still a bit ahead but we’ll keep chasing them down. George did a great job today as well.”
He sets a realistic target for himself and the team, “Red Bull] are a bit too quick at the moment but we’re working at it, one step at a time. If we can catch them by the end of the year, that would be a great result. I’m still flat-out motivated, no lifting.”
What a comeback that would be! The last time F1 was truly exciting was when Hamilton and Verstappen went neck and neck for the championship. Now, with an 8th championship dream to be fulfilled, the additional bonus of overthrowing the Bulls and returning to his rightful seat would be the next step for the Mercedes driver.
